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February 7, 2024

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Today's Top Stories

American Airlines Plans To Eliminate Its “Premium” First Class

American Airlines, unique among U.S. carriers for its "true" first-class product on certain aircraft, plans to eliminate this offering by late 2024, possibly extending into 2025. This decision aligns with the introduction of a new business class product. The premium A321Ts, currently featuring a separate first-class cabin, will be reconfigured to a standard domestic layout without first class, utilizing Airbus A321XLRs for premium transcontinental flights. The new business class will also be installed on newly delivered Boeing 787-9s and retrofitted onto Boeing 777-300ERs.

One Mile At A Time | Related American Airlines Begins Removing First Class, TVs, and Legroom From Fleet Of Cross Country Planes – View from the Wing

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Using AI To Generate Smart Metadata Holds Key To Content Personalization

Ahead of the discussion on "AI-Assisted” Smart Metadata in the Content Delivery Supply Chain" at APEX TECH, FabricData CEO Rob Delf; Conetic's VP Business Development Andre Valera; IdeaNova Technologies' Co-Founder Juraj Siska; Director of Technical Operations at Entertainment Identifier Registry Richard Kroon; and Stellar Entertainment Managing Director Sam Allen share how AI can create smart metadata to enable improved content recommendations. Allen also believes "there is the possibility of creating tailored 'smart' metadata that aligns with airline KPIs."

APEX Insights | Related 2024 IFE Content Trends, According to West Entertainment – APEX Insights

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British Airways To Align All Tier Point Collection Periods To Start In April

British Airways is standardizing the Tier Point collection period for all Executive Club members to begin on April 1st, shifting from the current system where the period varies by the member's join date. This change will take effect on April 1, 2025, with a transition period starting in April 2024. Members with collection periods ending by March 2024 will see no change in earning Tier status, while those with periods beginning from April 2024 will experience a shortened collection year ending on March 31, 2025.

Business Traveller | Related British Airways Simplifies Tier Points Collection Period – One Mile at a Time

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Air India Selects RECARO As Seating Partner For Widebody Aircraft

Air India has chosen RECARO Aircraft Seating for its widebody fleet's premium economy and economy classes, planning to install over 22,000 RECARO seats across new and existing aircraft over five to six years. The airline will use the CL3710 and the new CL3810 models for economy, and the PL3530 for premium economy. The initial phase involves retrofitting 40 B787 and B777 planes for 2024 service, followed by outfitting 12 A350 and B787 aircraft for 2025. An additional order includes 34 A350 and B787 planes featuring the new seat configurations.

Future Travel Experience | Related Air India Buys 22,000 Economy & Premium Economy Seats For Its Boeing 787s, 777s & Airbus A350s – Simple Flying

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Finnair Weighs Passengers In Helsinki Study

Finnair has initiated a voluntary program to weigh passengers with their carry-on luggage at Helsinki Airport during February, April, and May. This study aims to gather accurate data for flight balance calculations by understanding the actual weight aboard before takeoff. Over 500 volunteers have already participated. The data collected is anonymized, ensuring privacy, and will assist Finnair in determining whether to use average weights from aviation authorities or rely on their own metrics for flight preparations.

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Torino Airport Reopens Turin-Ceres Railway To Turin City Center

Torino Airport in Italy has launched a railway service connecting the airport to Turin city center in just 31 minutes, facilitating direct connections from southern Piedmont and the Lanzo Valleys. The Turin-Airport-Ciriè-Germagnano line was inaugurated by notable Italian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. This service provides travelers with easy access to key locations and the Italian rail network, enhancing the airport's connectivity. The inauguration marks a significant step towards sustainable transportation and aims to support future growth following a record year of over 4.5 million passengers in 2023.

Passenger Terminal Today | Related Torino-Airport railway service inaugurated – RailTech.com

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Harry Reid International Airport Introduces Remote Bag Drop

Harry Reid International Airport has introduced a remote bag drop service aimed at improving the passenger experience and reducing congestion at check-in areas and terminals. This service allows travelers to check their luggage and print boarding passes at convenient locations, including the Remote Lot on Gilespie Street. Available Thursdays to Mondays for select domestic airlines, this complimentary service requires bags to be dropped off at least 90 minutes before flight departure. The initiative, operated by BAGS Inc., aligns with LAS's efforts to accommodate increasing passenger volumes and enhance operational efficiency.

Aviation Pros | Related Harry Reid International introduces remote bag drop – Passenger Terminal Today

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> PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's picture comes from @ryuno_aviatin_photo, showing a Japan Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft.

Use #APEXPOTD for the chance to be featured in the APEX Daily Experience newsletter!

> Tweet of the Day

Very unexpected but highly appreciated surprise by @LOTPLAirlines today: only 5 days after my flight disruption and only 2 (!) days after filing my claim, #LOT announces to transfer the compensation payment of 400 EUR. No excuses, no delay. Stunned! #paxex #flightrights #aviation

Today’s Flight @TodaysFlight

Association News

Shop the Online APEX Merchandise Store

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. Share the love by surprising your colleagues and team with thoughtful gifts from the APEX Store. It's the perfect way to express your appreciation and support for our wonderful APEX community. Start spreading the love – Start Shopping today!

APEX TECH | 28-29 February 2024 | Los Angeles, CA, USA

Come embark on a journey to explore the latest advancements and innovations in the world of Inflight Connectivity, Media Content and Supply Chain, Data Capture and Intelligence, and Ancillary and Passenger Experience Use. Join us at 2024 APEX TECH, 28-29 February, in Los Angeles, CA, and learn from and network with airlines and service providers. Registration is now open!

Delta Air Lines’ Ekrem Dimbiloglu to join us at APEX TECH

We’re delighted Ekrem Dimbiloglu will be joining us at APEX TECH. He is Delta Air Lines’ Managing Director of Customer Experience. Find out more about Ekrem’s work on Delta SYNC in this insightful interview he did with NPR.

> Quote of the Day

“As in-flight catalogs grow so that passengers are sure to find content to their liking, it becomes increasingly hard for viewers to find that content. In-flight viewing habits are different from at-home, so content recommendation needs a tremendous amount of metadata and teaching cases to improve the in-flight viewing experience and maximize customer satisfaction.”

Richard Kroon, Director of Technical Operations at Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR)
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The next newsletter will be out tomorrow.

ABOUT APEX

The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) encompasses a network of airlines, businesses and professionals that are committed to providing a world-class airline experience for passengers around the globe. Every day, APEX members are improving every aspect of the airline experience, from designing, building and installing seating, entertainment and communications systems on commercial aircraft, to airport lounges and in-flight dining. Visit apex.aero for more information. APEX is professionally managed by Kellen Company, the premier global association management firm with offices and representation in the United States, Europe, China, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia.

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